Ripon College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Ripon, Wisconsin. It enrolls 688 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
65/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes51
Value51
Affordability51
Selectivity47
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 79.8%, Ripon College is broadly accessible to qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
79.8%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
980 – 1270
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
21 – 27
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Ripon College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
14.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Ripon College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $20,216 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$20,216
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
34%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
70%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$51,900
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,800
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,750
Books & Supplies
$750
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,875
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,875
Total Cost of Attendance
$63,540
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$15,712
$30,001 – $48,000
$14,267
$48,001 – $75,000
$16,971
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,124
Over $110,000
$25,280
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$9,50025%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$29,20075%percentile
$34,78790%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $22,032
↓ $4,968
No Pell $19,500
↓ $7,500
Female students $23,525
↓ $3,475
Male students $15,750
↓ $11,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,000, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
63% of full-time students who enrolled at Ripon College graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
63%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Ripon College earn a median of $54,902 ten years after first enrolling. That's close to the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$54,902
Earning > $25K
87%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$46,900
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$56,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,600, about 17% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
11.3 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Ripon College is home to 688 students, a small, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
688
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
28%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 78.9%543
Hispanic 10.8%74
Black 3.3%23
International 1.7%12
Other 1.6%11
Asian 1.3%9
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Ripon College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Town: DistantRipon, Wisconsin
Housing
Strongly residential954 beds for 688 students
Adult Learners
1%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Ripon College offers
a varied set of programs:
27 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Ripon College is 12:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$154M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$71,132
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
48 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
18
38%
$82,187
Associate Professors
18
38%
$71,712
Assistant Professors
11
23%
$54,138
Instructors
1
2%
$48,649
Pros & Cons of Ripon College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Ripon College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Accessible admissions for most applicants
Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
Tight-knit, close community feel
Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Modest first-year retention
High published cost of attendance before aid
Most students take on federal loans
Best for:
Based on the data, Ripon College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ripon College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Ripon College.
Is Ripon College hard to get into?
Ripon College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted. Acceptance rate: 79.8%.
What is the acceptance rate at Ripon College?
Ripon College has an acceptance rate of 79.8%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
What SAT score do you need for Ripon College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Ripon College scored between 980 and 1270 on the SAT (Reading + Math combined). Scores at the higher end of that range improve admissions odds materially. Per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
What ACT score do you need for Ripon College?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Ripon College scored between 21 and 27 on the ACT composite. Scores in the upper half of that range strengthen an application. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Ripon College cost?
The average net price after aid at Ripon College is $20,216 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Ripon College worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $54,902 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $20,216 per year. That's roughly 2.7x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Ripon College known for?
Ripon College is best known for its programs in Kinesiology, Psychology, Teacher Education (K-12). These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Ripon College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Ripon College are $54,902, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Ripon College accredited?
Yes. Ripon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Ripon College?
Ripon College enrolls 688 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Ripon College?
Ripon College graduates 63% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Ripon College a public or private college?
Ripon College is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Ripon College located?
Ripon College is located in Ripon, Wisconsin.
What programs does Ripon College offer?
Ripon College offers 27 distinct programs. The most popular include Kinesiology, Psychology, Teacher Education (K-12).
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Ripon College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Ripon College is 12:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Wisconsin
Other colleges in Wisconsin share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Business Administration
Business Administration
Psychology
Related Guides
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
